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SKETCH 



EDWARD AUGUSTUS 



DUKE OR KENT, 



BY GENERAL MARCUS J. WRIGHT. 



[Originally published in "Ware's Valley Monthly," St. Louis, Mo., in 1876.] 



RICHMOND, VA.: 

WM. ELLIS JONES, STEAM BOOK AND JOB PRINTER. 
1889. 



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NOTE. 



On a recent visit to England I formed many pleasant 
acquaintances and friendships, and had some enquiries for copies 
of a little sketch of Edward Augustus, Duke of Kent, which I 
had written thirteen years ago. It was originally published in 
" Ware's Valley Monthly," of St. Louis, Mo., and I had a few 
copies printed in pamphlet form. This pamphlet edition being 
exhausted, I have had a second (limited) edition printed, which 
is without change from the original publication. I have, however, 
added letters from Major-General Sir Henry F. Ponsonby, Private 
Secretary to the Queen ; Sir Edward Thornton, late British Min- 
ister to the United States, and Captain Vernor Chater, A. D. C. 
to the Marquis of Lome, late Governor-General of Canada. 

I dedicate this sketch to my friend, The Reverend 

FREDERICK K. HARFORD, Minor Canon of Westminster 

Abbey, to whom I am greatly indebted for much of the pleasure I 

had on my first visit to England. 

MARCUS J. WRIGHT. 
Washington, D. C, 

U. S. A., October, 1889. 



SKETCH. 



There is no public character living, outside of our own country, 
in whom the people of the United States feel a greater interest than 
in Victoria, Queen of Great Britain and Ireland. Nor is this at all 
singular. On the contrary, considering the former connection of the 
Colonies with the British Crown ; that much the larger number of our 
native citizens are the descendants of parents from the British Isles ; 
that our language, literature, and religion are similar, it is very natural 
that such should be the case. But when, added to this, we have the 
authority of one of England's greatest writers for the remark that " in 
Queen Victoria her subjects have found a wiser, gentler, happier 
Elizabeth," and that in her, her subjects have also found a monarch 
who has been guided by the belief that the powers of royalty are held 
in trust for the people, and are not the end, but the mere means, of gov- 
ernment; that she is, and has been during her entire reign, the most 
constitutional monarch her country has ever seen ; that she has prac- 
ticed during her government every domestic virtue, and that her life 
has been a stainless one, setting an example of piety which has had 
its influence for good throughout the whole of the magnificent empire 
over which she reigns, we need go no farther to ascertain the reason 
for this interest. It may, therefore, be presumed that a short sketch 
of the Duke of Kent, the father of the Queen, taken mostly from Mr. 
Neale's Memoir (a work which attained but one small edition, and 
which is accessible to only a few readers), would not be uninteresting 
to the readers of the Valley Monthly. 

Edward Augustus, Duke of Kent, the fourth son of George III, 



THE D UKE OF KENT. 



was born at Buckingham House on November 2, 1767. He was 
placed at an early age under the care of Mr. Fisher, who was after- 
wards made Canon of Windsor and Bishop of Exeter and Salisbury. 
At Kew Palace, during the Duke's childhood, he broke a time-piece 
highly prized by George III, it having formerly belonged to the Duke 
of Gloucester, son of Queen Anne. When questioned on the subject, 
he frankly admitted having broken it, and could not be persuaded to 
confess penitence for the deed. He was severely punished, and we 
are led to infer, from his biographer's account of it, that the punish- 
ment was of a character very unusual for children of the blood royal. 
In his eighteenth year the Duke was sent to Lunenburg, then a part 
of the electorate of Hanover, and placed under charge of Baron 
Wangenheim, for the purpose of prosecuting military studies. The 
King had granted him an allowance of a thousand pounds, but the 
money was placed in the hands of the Baron, who was noted for his 
miserly propensities. The result was that, between fines imposed for 
military misdemeanors and moneys expended by the Baron himself 
for "contingencies," the Duke found his allowance very short. Be- 
sides the appropriation of his money by the Baron, he was placed 
under the most rigid military discipline, so that he was very glad, at 
the end of a year, to be removed to Hanover and to occupy apart- 
ments in one of the royal palaces. Notwithstanding the delight which 
he felt at the change, he soon felt the verity of the saying of Horace, 
"■Ceolum non animuni mutant, qui trans mare currunt,'' 1 for he found 
here no abatement of military rigor, no increase of allowance, and, 
added to these, his letters to the King were destroyed and never 
reached their destination; false representations of his conduct reached 
the royal ear, and he found his actions under the closest system 
of espionage. The gloom of this life was lighted in May, 1786, by 
receipt of the intelligence that he had been appointed a Colonel in 
the army by brevet, and in June following he was elected a Knight of 



THE D UKE OF KENT. 



the Garter. In the succeeding October, by command of the King, he 
went into quarters at Geneva. Here he was, for the first time in his 
life, thrown into the company of several English noblemen and gen- 
tlemen of his own age. The allowance now paid to Baron Wangen- 
heim for the support of the Duke was six thousand pounds per annum, 
but he neither relaxed his military rigor, his system of espionage, nor 
did he greatly increase the amount of money which reached the Prince. 
The result of this course was, that the Prince made debts which 
proved a burden and serious annoyance to him during the remainder 
of his life. His biographer, remarking on this, says : " The inade- 
quacy of his income for many years to support him in the style of 
living which, as a Prince, he was called upon to adopt, was a perpetual 
and unmerited source of discomfort and disquiet." Finding all ap- 
peals to or remonstrances with the old Baron futile, he determined to 
go to his father, tell his wrongs, and ask for that treatment which was 
due to a Prince and the son of a King. Acting on this impulse, and 
keeping his intentions secret, he set out, and arrived in London in 
January, 1 790, and took up quarters at a hotel in King street, St. 
James' Square. His eldest brother, the Prince of Wales, being noti- 
fied of his arrival, called and conducted him to Carlton House, his 
home. The Duke of York is sent for next day, and after consultation 
it is determined that he shall convey to the King the intelligence of 
the arrival of Edward. The Duke of York returns with information 
that the royal father received the intelligence of the arrival of the 
Prince with the greatest demonstrations of displeasure and rage — 
" Edward has violated military law ; he has quitted his post without 
leave ; he is now in England without my cognizance or consent. His 
presence here is an act of the most daring disobedience, and I will do 
nothing to sanction it." For thirteen days the unhappy Prince sought 
an interview with the King without avail. At the end of that time he 
received by a messenger from the royal hand a sealed envelope, which 



THE D UKE OF KENT. 



he opened hastily and found it to be an order from the King to em- 
bark for Gibraltar within twenty-four hours. Before leaving, he was 
allowed an audience with the King of five minutes, and dismissed with 
an insignificant sum of money to defray his expenses. On July ist he 
left England, unsoothed by a single word of affection, confidence, or 
cheer from his father. Whilst his new position increased his expenses 
and his income was not augmented, he was at least relieved of the 
tyranny of Baron Wangenheim. General O'Hara, the commandant 
at Gibraltar, placed him in charge of Colonel Symes, in whom he 
found not only an agreeable instructor, but a friend, who used every 
means at his command to ameliorate his condition. 

The Duke's education under Baron Wangenheim had impressed 
him with the importance of strict military discipline, and the enforce- 
ment of his views in this respect, as commanding officer of the Royal 
Fusileers, rendered him unpopular with the men. Representations of 
this feeling of dissatisfaction having been transmitted home, the Duke 
was ordered to embark for America with his regiment. Before leav- 
ing, however, he made arrangements for the settlement of his debts, 
which had now increased to twenty thousand pounds, by which he 
gave bonds to his creditors bearing interest and payable at the expira- 
tion of seven years. On his arrival at Quebec he learned that his 
allowance had been reduced from six to five thousand pounds per 
annum, and that it was impossible for him to maintain his character as 
a field-officer and a Prince on this allowance. He therefore asked 
and obtained from Sir Charles Grey, who was commanding the forces 
engaged against the French in West Indies, an appointment on the 
staff, and he was reported by Sir Charles, in his dispatches to the 
Government from the Island of Martinique, as "commanding at Camp 
La Coste with great spirit and activity." He afterwards distinguished 
himself in several engagements, and acquired great popularity with 
the men and officers of that army. In April, 1794, he led the first 



THE DUKE OF KENT. 



division, consisting of the First and Second Battalions of Grenadiers 
and the naval battalion, at the capture of Gaudaloupe, attacking with 
great spirit, bravery, and activity the post on Morne Marcot, and was 
complimented in official dispatches for his conduct by Sir Charles 
Grey. 

At the time we now write of the Duke was twenty-seven years 
old. Intelligence, through official sources, having reached Parliament 
of his meritorious conduct in the field, both houses passed a vote of 
thanks to him for " his gallant conduct and meritorious exertions." 
The Irish Parliament passed a similar resolution, and the young Duke 
was suddenly covered with legislative votes, approbation, and compli- 
ment. But the Duke felt that honor could not replenish his finances. 
He needed money; and notwithstanding the extravagant sums voted 
to his elder brother, the Prince of Wales, not a pound was granted to 
him. This was the more singular, as his brother, the Duke of York, 
had received his parliamentary provision on the arrival of his twenty- 
first birthday, and the Duke of Clarence at twenty-four had a grant of 
sixteen thousand pounds, in addition to a previously-granted income, 
although neither of them had, in a public capacity, " rendered the 
State service." It was believed by many of the Duke's friends that 
he was never a favorite at Court, and that the King's aversion to him 
arose from his known liberal public opinions. 

At the conclusion of the West India campaign, the Duke was 
ordered back to Canada. A fall from a horse in the autumn of 1798 
caused his return to England for surgical treatment. In the early 
part of the succeeding year his first annual allowance of twelve thou- 
sand pounds was granted him by Parliament. The King, however, 
had a proviso inserted in the bill which allowed the Duke of Cumber- 
land, who was four years younger, to receive an allowance of the 
same amount, commencing; at the same time, which, according; to all 
former usage, entitled Duke Edward to forty-eight thousand pounds 



10 THE D UKE OF KENT. 



for back allowance to place him on an equal footing with Cumberland ; 
but it was never allowed him. 

In 1 799 he was raised to the dignity of Duke of Kent and 
Strathearne, in Great Britain, and Earl of Dublin, in Ireland, and in 
the following May he took his seat in the House of Lords. He was 
soon afterwards promoted to the rank of General in the army, and on 
May 17th was assigned the direction, as commander-in-chief, of the 
forces in British North America. He at once embarked for his new 
field, but his stay there was brief, by reason of a severe bilious attack, 
which made it necessary for him to return to England. 

Availing himself of his stay in England, after recovering from 
his illness, he applied in person to Mr. Pitt, the Prime Minister, for jus- 
tice in the matter of his allowance. Mr. Pitt gave what seemed to be 
plausible reason for the past delay, and promised that the fullest jus- 
tice should be done him ; but the promise was never redeemed. Mr. 
Addington, who succeeded Mr Pitt, did not carry out the promises of 
his predecessor, but appointed the Duke Governor of Gibraltar, a 
position at that time, considering the bad condition of the garrison, not 
much to be envied even by an officer who was neither a Prince nor a 
General. He found drunkenness and consequent disorder, disobe- 
dience, and want of discipline the rule at the garrison with both offi- 
cers and men. He saw that nothing but firm, decided, and harsh 
measures would cure the evil. He used the means, restored order, 
and was at once relieved of his command and ordered home. Ar- 
riving in London, he asked for a Court of Inquiry, which was refused 
him. He then asked for a court-martial, waiving his rank. This, too, 
was denied. He pleaded for any sort of investigation, and all these 
being refused, he expressed a desire to return to his post, which was 
also refused, without the assignment of any reason. 

For several years the Duke led a quiet and retired life. To meet 
the demands of his creditors he settled one half of his income (which 



THE DUKE OF KENT. 11 



he afterwards increased to three-fourths) on trustees, for their benefit, 
and reduced his establishment so as to live within his means. He 
quitted England in 1816 and took up his residence at Brussels. From 
here he made frequent visits into Germany for the purpose of visiting 
members of his family. During one of these visits he met and made 
the acquaintance of the Princess of Leinengen, a young, handsome, 
and amiable widow, who was sister to Prince Leopold, of Saxe-Coburg. 
At the age of sixteen she had married the hereditary Prince Leinen- 
gen, a man very much older than herself, and who, according to con- 
temporaneous report, was totally unsuited to her, not only in age, but 
in manners, habits, and disposition. The union continued for twelve 
years, and resulted in the birth of two children, a son and a daughter. 
It is said of the Princess that, notwithstanding the incompatibility of 
herself and husband, her conduct during the marriage and up to the 
time of the death of the Prince, was characterized, on her part, by the 
most exemplary conduct and discharge of her domestic duties. Her 
fine person, character, and disposition won the Duke, and they were 
married at Coburg on May 20, 18 18. For reasons solely controlled 
by his financial condition, the Duke resided for some time on the con- 
tinent. But in the next year, the Duchess being enciente, and it being 
desirable that the infant should be born in England, the Duke was at 
his wit's ends to raise the necessary means for the trip, and, in fact, 
the Duchess was far advanced before they could start on their journey. 
The money was at last provided, neither by the King nor Parliament, 
but by a few untitled private friends of the Duke. They at last 
reached England, and on May 24, 18 19, a Princess was born to them 
at Kensington Palace, who is known to the world as Queen Victoria. 
On January 28, 1820, the Duke died at Walbrooke Cottage from in- 
flammation of the lungs. Judging from his acts and the opinions of 
those who best knew him, we pronounce him to have been a man of 
ability, firmness, and Christian principles ; a man of liberal opinions 



12 THE DUKE OF KENT. 



and broad charity, who met the unmerited displeasure and harsh treat- 
ment of his father and family with a spirit of forbearance and patience ; 
and it can but be a source of regret that, amid all his trials and suf- 
ferings, he should have been permitted to pass from the world 
unblessed by the knowledge that the little Princess, his first-born, and 
whom he loved with such tenderness and devotion, should succeed to 
the throne of his father, and should win for her glorious reign the 
universal plaudits of the civilized world. 

Columbia, Tenn. 

[Note.— It adds additional lustre to the character of the Queen that soon after her 
accession to the throne she promptly discharged all of her father's debts.] 



WINDSOR CASTLE, 

December 6, 1879. 

Sir — I am commanded by the Queen to convey to you 
Her Majesty's thanks for your kindness in presenting to 
the Queen the copy of your " Sketch of Edward Augustus, 
Duke of Kent." 

I have the honor to be, sir, 

Your obedient servant, 

HENRY F. PONSONBY. 
To General Marcus J. Wright. 



BRITISH LEGATION, 

Washington, November 21, 1879. 

Dear Sir — I am much obliged to you for your kindness 
in sending me a copy of your work on the Duke of Kent, 
which I accept with pleasure. I am sorry that I could not 
comply with your wish to forward the copy intended for the 
Queen, but I am sure that you will have understood why I 
could not do so. 

I remain, dear sir, 

Truly yours, 

EDWARD THORNTON. 
To General Marcus J. Wright. 



FISHING CAMP OF THE GOVERNOR GENERAL, 
Grand Cascapedia River, Canada, July ioth, 1880. 

Sir — I have been desired by Her Royal Highness, the 

Princess Louise, to return to you Her Royal Highness' best 

thanks for the "Sketch of Edward Augustus, Duke of Kent," 

which the Princess accepts with very much pleasure. 

I remain, sir, 

Yours faithfully, 

VERNOR CHATER, 

Captain, A. D. C. 

To General Marcus J. Wright, 

War Department, Washington, U. S. 



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